United Airlines flight attendants staged a rally Thursday, Oct. 26 at Los Angeles International Airport, claiming they’re underpaid and not being compensated for the time they spend boarding, deplaning and waiting between flights.
Wielding signs reading “Pay us or chaos” and “Ground time pay leads the way,” they made their concerns known to travelers coming and going at the airport.
An estimated 1,500 United flight attendants based out of LAX are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Their labor contract was last amended in August 2021.
Thursday’s LAX protest was part of a national Day of Action that saw thousands of United flight attendants rallying at nearly 20 airports across the U.S., including San Francisco International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport, Denver International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, among others.
The workers say they’re standing up to “corporate greed” and are calling on management to negotiate “the contract flight attendants deserve.” The protests come on the heels of United posting nearly $15 billion in revenue for the third quarter of 2023.
They’re also seeking rules that give more control of their time and compensate them when operations are disrupted by weather or staffing shortages, and they want management to improve their health insurance coverage and other workplace benefits.
In a statement issued Thursday, United said it’s seeing progress in negotiations, adding that the two sides have reached an agreement on six sections of a proposed labor contract.
“We are hopeful that this progress will provide momentum toward our goal of reaching an industry-leading agreement,” the airline said. “All United flights will operate as planned while our flight attendants exercise their right to distribute information and picket while off-duty. “
Timothy Trueman, AFA-CWA’s council vice president for Los Angeles and San Diego, said flight…
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